At a ribbon cutting ceremony at Curtis Hixon Park on Thursday, Mayor Buckhorn announced that there is now free WiFi there and along the Tampa Riverwalk. Joined by Bright House Network executives and staff, they envision that through technological connectivity Tampa will be a more accessible city for residents, tourists and students, and a place where people can more easily relax, work and study. While the service is only available for two hours per person, it is available for everyone.
The WiFi service is being provided by Bright House Networks. The company recently activated a faster broadband high speed internet service to community residents for free. The connectivity provides “connectivity for exciting upcoming events, tournaments, and businesses available in the Tampa Bay area. The enjoyment of community programs can be enjoyed by people while they are out and about,” says Carlos Del Castillo, Bright House Vice President. He says that there are already 40,000 free WiFi hot-spots available in Florida and 250,000 free hot-spots nationwide. He says that Tampa’s future is based on a vision that values public and private partnerships that improve the quality of life for everyone in the community.
"The value of extending these services is to allow people to be more mobile," says Craig Cowden, chief network officer and senior vice president of Enterprise Solutions, for Bright House Networks. He announced that Bright House is committed to being an infrastructure support system and community partnership by a public private partnership with the City of Tampa. He says that beyond opening 40,000 access points they are working with other cable companies throughout the country in order to extend their service model to the other 250,000 access points outside of Florida.
Mayor Buckhorn approached the podium as downtown's first official WiFi customer. With his iPad placed in front of him he logged onto the internet. He says that it took a year and half to work out the details of the WiFi project. He says the project “fits into the larger scheme of things we are attempting to do as a city. Our ability to compete and attract that intellectual capital, the best and the brightest from around the globe to come to our urban core, to come to this downtown and be a part of this experience that we call Tampa, is contingent upon making us a cool, hip, vibrant place to be,” says Buckhorn.
Tampa resident, Tracy Robinson works downtown. She says, “I come here every day for lunch and get on my tablet.” A local student, said she likes that there is now free WiFi, because it will give her a reason to study outside of her house. Robinson says that her lunch break is only for an hour, so the two hour limitation doesn't bother her.
Buckhorn encourages people to work, play, study, write code and skateboard, live in the towers and work next door, and have a cocktail if they are old enough. “This waterfront and these waterfront parks from Julia B Lane Park on the west side to Waterworks Park all along the river will be the center of everything that the downtown Tampa environment is built on. It’s going to be the center of our urban experience, not the western edge,” he says.
Nikki Inda, does community outreach for Moffitt. She says, “This helps close the digital divide. Take a look around here. You have a library. I tell you what, before it opens there is a slew of people who are without homes, and these days you can get a free cellphone.”
Buckhorn says, “Come spring of this year, I hope you are listening. That river walk will be done. That will connect from the Waterworks building all the way around to Channelside, with over two miles of uninterrupted waterfront access that will be the focal point for everything that we do.”